Running board for automobiles



0cm 9, ma. .mgm

G. R. GAGNE RUNNING BOARD FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. s. 1922 Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

GIDEON R. GAGNE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 A. 0. SMITH CORPORA- TION, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RUNNING BOARD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

' Application led August 3, 1922. Serial No. 579,480.

To all whom t may concer/n.: Y

Be it known that I, GIDEoN R. GAGNE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident -of the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running Boards for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be a clear, exact, and complete description thereof, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying ldrawing as showing some constructional forms in which my invention has been embodied and illustrating the manner in which my process may be carried out.

My invention relates to a preed steel runnin board for use in connection with automo iles or other vehicles.

The purpose of the invention is to produce a covered running board of the type referred to in which the construction is such that the angular corners of running boards which are sheathed with a tread of'aluminum, or which are covered with a tread of linoleum held in place by means of angular metallic binding strips, will be preserved against the disfigurement which is attendant upon existing structures of the kind.l

In the manufacture of pressed steel runningl boards the outer angle or corner which 'oins the surface or tread of -the running board body and the depending reinforcing flange, is rounded, the radius upon which the bend is made being controlled by the auge of the sheet metal blank from which t e running board is made. It is unavoidable that the corner should be rounded in turning the flanges. A

Running boards so constructed are covered by a flanged sheath of metal of a thin.

ner gauge, or by a sheet of linoleum held in osition by an angular binding strip of like thin metal, which is bent upon a shorter radius. When assembled, the sharp corner existing in the aluminum sheath, or binding strip, creates a hollow space between the rounded edge ofthe runnin board and -the angular inside corner o the coverlng sheath or binding strip, and the corner of the sheath or binding strip of ductile metal is not sup orted or backed up, as is to be desired. onsequently, the exposed corner 'becomes dented when subjected to blows, and therefore unsightly. To obviate the vsuch objection, it would be necessary to prepa-re a set of special dies and matrices to bend the sheath or binding strip upona radius corresponding to that of the sheet steel body or foundation, and inasmuch as such a set would be required for each change in the gauge of the body or foundation sheet, the cost of production would in a large measure be prohibitive.

The purpose of my improvement is to construct a pressed sheet steel running board body with a square corner instead of a rounded corner along the line upon which the depending flange is joined to the tread portion tolenable the coveringsheath or binding strip to fit snugly thereover, and eliminate the hollow space existing at int. I produce this result with .a simplification and reduction in the number of operations necessary to produce a pressed steel running board body of the older type.

As an article of manufacture, my improved running board. consists of a covered running board formed by ldrawing a sheet steel blank into shape, it having depending flanges the lower marginal portions of which are returned so as to lie u n the outside of and in parallelism with the flanges to increase the strength of the latter, and present the edge of 'the blank in or near the plane of the tread portion so as to form a sharp corner over and uponwhich the covering sheath or angular binding strip may be closely seated, and prevent indentation of the corner of such sheath or binding strip.

In another aspect, my invent-ion resides in the series of operations whereby the sheet steel blank constituting the body of the running board is drawn into shape so as to produce the sharp corner referred to, and thus support the corner of the covering sheath or Vbinding strip against unsightly indentations.

Havino thus outlined the nature of my invention, I will now proceed with a specific description of the same, and will point out the novelty thereof in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an isometric perspective view of a running board constructed in accordance with my invention, and covered with a tread surface of linoleum or other antislipping material, the latter being secured upon the running board body by means of an angular binding strip of softer metal.

, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the same in SEL Sii

elevation, the board being vertically sectioned at its ends to show some of the details of construction.

Fig. 3 is an enlar ed Vertical sectional view of the left han end of the running board shown in Fig. 2, and designed to illustrate more clearly the construction thereof, but the said view will also illustrate the construction upon any transverse section.

Fig. 4 illustrates a portion of a contoured blank from which my running board is formed, and illustrates also' the steps followed in the formation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the tread of the running board as covered with a sheathing of aluminum or other metal.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Figs. 3 and 5, showing a common construction in which exists the defect which my present invention completely obviates.

Fig. 7 is a transverse'sectional view. illustrating a modification of the construction whereby the square corner is produced upon the running board.

In the drawing, Fig. 6 shows one form of the older construction of running boards with the defect which it is the purpose of my invention to overcome. It will be noted that in the said ligure the radius on which the depending flange 10 is turned from the tread portion 11 of the sheet steel running board blank, is longer than that upon which the flange of the aluminum sheath 12 of the comparatively thin metal is turned. When the parts are assembled in position, a hollow space 13 at the upper corner of the runningv board is produced by these dierences in radii. The covering sheath 12, being constituted 0f aluminum or other ductile metal and unsupported at its inner angle, ca nnot resist blows and impacts against the exposed corner `of* the running board, and as a consequence the latter is disfigured and rendered unsightly by the indentations. This objectionable condition will occur as well when an angular binding strip of like metal is employed t0 secure a tread of linoleum or other antislipping material upon the surface of the running board.

In producing my running board, I cut from aV flat steel plate or strip of suitable gauge, a blank having notched corners as partially indicated in plan in Fig. 4, by the letter A, so as to produce marginal portions which can be bent to form the depending flanges 14 for reinforcing and sustaining` the plane of the running board. The parallel broken lines appearing in Fig. 4 indicate the lines upon which .the mar ins are bent to draw the double Hanges 14 into shape. 'lhe blank is first bent upon the inner dotted line 15, and then upon the outer vdotted line 16,

,which extends centrally ofthe mar inal portion, which bending of the double ange Meara@ may preferably be effected simultaneously; or it may be successively. The result of this operation is to produce tlie 'structure having thecross section indicated at B in Fig. 4, the portions ofthe margin outside of the central line 16 assuming an outwardly extending upstanding position in the drawing' operation. A further operation draws the upstanding portions of the margins into abutting parallelism with the vertically disposed inner sections of the margin, against the outer sides thereof, as indicated at C in Fig. 4, and the edge of the outer marginal portion of the flange is brought approximately into the vplane of the surface of the running board, whereby there is formed a square corner instead of a rounded one as before. The double flanges 14 are then transversely perforated at 17, as indicated at D in Fig. 4. The arrangement is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 5.

Fig. 3 shows a running board covered with a tread of linoleum or other antislipping' material 18, held in place by an angular binding strip of aluminum or other soft metal 19. In this construction, the edge of the upstanding part of the outer flange projects slightly above the plane of the surface of the pressed steel running board body 20 as at 22, so as to constitute a shallow depression in which the linoleum strip 18 may be inset, the top surface thereof being flush with the said edge 22. An angular binding strip 19 is secured in` position around the linoleum strip by .means of rii'ets 21 passed through the perforationsr v1'? in the depending flanges of the running board, and through perforations in the vertical flange of the strip 19. This construction is particularly advantageous in that the binding strip 19 is not subject to displacement by impacts or blows on the corner of the running board, and consequently a more secure sealing` of the parts is effected, with the result that moisture is prevented from gettingL under the horizontal flange of the binding strip, and deterioration of the parts is thus prevented.

Fig. 5 shows a like construction in which the edge of the upstanding portion of the double flange is Hush with the surface of the running board. This construction is designed to receive a flanged sheathing or tread portion 12 of aluminum covering the running board, and secured thereto by means of rivets 21 passed through the perforations in all of the fianges, as in Fig. 3. In both constructions, the sheathing and the binding strip are firmly supported in the angle at the under side by the square corner formed on the body of the running board, so as to better resist and avoid the disfigf. urements of the older construction, as shown in Fig. 6.y I f Fig. 1 shows a comple running rd..

rea

provided with a tread of linoleum 18, and Fig. 2 shows details of construction of the same board, which are illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3.

Inasmuch as the production of a pressed steel running board with a square corner to support the covering sheath or binding strip against disfigurement is an important feature of my invention, it will be understood that the construction thereof may be in any manner within the scope ofnmy in vention. For instance, the outer section of the flange may be produced as a separate stri 24, Fig. 7,`which latter may be tacked to tlie integral flange ofthe running board by spot welding or otherwise, to form a double flange preparatory to the formation of the perforations 17 in the flanges of the running board. In all constructions, however, the upper edge of the outer member of the double flange at the exposed side of the running board is designed to present a square corner approximately in the plane of the surface of the running board body, for the purposes hereinbefore described. It may be sufficient, therefore, in some particular instanes to construct the running board with a square corner at one side only.

The angular bindin strip and the cor'l responding portion o t-he'flanged sheath constitute in part the means for securing the anti-slipping tread ortion upon the running board, and tlierefore the securing means recited in some of the appended claims have relation to the elements herein mentioned. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is:

1. As an larticle of manufacture, a sheet steel running board for automobiles and other vehicles, composed of a tread portion with a depending inner flange portion, and a second flange portion arranged upon the outer side ofthe inner flange portion, the upper edge of the second flange portion forming a square corner upon the running board.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sheet steel running board for automobiles and other vehicles, composed of a tread portion having a depending flange comprised of two parallel vertical portions, with the outer portion of the flange having its upper edge approximately in the plane of the surface of the running board to roduce a square corner upon the running oard.

3. As an article of manufacture, a sheet steel running board for automobiles and other vehicles, composed of a tread portion and depending flan es' thereon, the lower marginal portion o ,the flange b emg returned to 11e against and in parallelism with `face and depending flanges and provided the outer side of the depending portion thereof, to produce a square corner upon the running board.

4. As an article of manufacture, a Sheet metal running board body for automobiles and other vehicles, composed of a tread portion with a depending inner flange portion, a second flange portion arranged upon the outer side of the inner flange portion, the upper edge of the second flange portion constituting a Square corner for the running board, and an anti-slipping tread covering for the running board, attached thereto.

5. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal running board body composed of a tread portion and an inner flange portion depending therefrom, a second flange portion arranged upon the outer side of the inner flange portion, the upper edge of the outer flange portion extending to the plane of the tread portion, whereby a square corner isl produced, and a thin sheathing ofmetal cov-v ering the running board and attached tothe flanges thereof.

6. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal running board having a plane surwith a covering tread prtion of anti-slipping material, with means for uniting the tread portion to the running board, the flanges having a square corner at the line of their union with the plane surface of the running board to support the uniting means against indentation at such corner.

7. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal running board having a plane surface and double flanges formed of parts arranged in parallelism depending therefrom,`the upper edge of the outer por-tion of the double flange forming a square upper corner upon theV running board, and a covering tread portion of anti-slipping material with means for securing the same upon A`-the running board, such means being supported against indentation by the said square corner.

8. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal running board having a plane surface and double flanges formed of parts in parallel depending therefrom, and providedk with a covering tread portion of anti-slip pingl material, the outer portionsy of the double flanges extending above the plane surface of the runnin board to constitute a shallow recess for t e reception of the covering material.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 27th day of July, 120 1922.

r G. R. GAGNE.

Witnesses:

W. F. WooLAnn, W. REUss. 

